Comments 9

Here is a page where we can really engage with each other in discussions. I’ve set up the category of Voice and Performance: Training.

Let me know if you would like me to add any more, just keep in mind that this is a website dedicated to all matters to do with performance, theatre and in particular the voice and vocal expression in performance.

Hi Flloyd, Not sure what the forum nor discussions are covering, but, your projects in NZ and regarding Giving Voice to Children sound great. My next Shakespeare workshop is July 4-22, Mon-Fri, 930-230. After that, QCR3 in January, 2012 themed “Shakespeare’s Clowns” with guest co-teacher for the final week Prof. Tom Bishop (Co-Editor of The Shakespearean International Yearbook. Scholar in comedy traditions, and Renaissance art and history). Bye for the moment, Ira

Thanks Ira. The discussions can be on whatever topic anyone wants to raise, as long as it’s relevant to performance, theatre, voice etc. This particular topic relates to involving school children in performing Shakespeare, beyond school shows.

Great to know about your forthcoming workshops, I’m very happy to spread the word.

Hi Flloyd,
My new book project launched 4 days ago. Great timing for this post. I used Shakespeare’s monologue in “As You Like It” to write poems in all the 7 categories of humankind that he delineates (“All the world’s a stage…”). My publisher posts one poem per day on her book blog for 51 days, where our editorial board of 40+ people critique the poem and then it is opened up to anyone to comment. This project would be a great way for students to read a book of poetry, write their own critique, and then refer to the blog (which will be archived forever) and compare how they interpreted the poem. So far we have been getting some nice references to Shakespeare in the editorial board’s critiques and I am hoping for more in the comments section. The book will be published this Fall. I welcome your comments as well. Anyone who does make a comment gets their name published in the book’s acknowledgments, a nice plus.

Also, I inadvertently unsubscribed from your site. Should I submit again or can you reinstate me? I don’t want you to have to resend the free ebook as I have received it already. Thanks.

Flloyd,
Thank you so much for sharing Shakespeare High with your community! Right now in the US and I’m guessing around the world, arts programs are being cut from our education funding in light of massive deficits in the system. I know for me and the producers of the film, having quality arts education in our lives helped us develop our passions and gave us a great launching pad for our careers. It would be fantastic to see programs like DTASC’s Shakespeare Festival take place all around the world and get students involved in drama and the arts. If anyone needs any recommendations on resources to check out to try to set something up in their community, I would love to see what I can do to help. Just email me at shakespearehigh@gmail.com. Thank you and keep up the great work!

This is a great topic. It’s so important that kids get opportunities for creative expression including music and drama education from an early age – I’d start in pre-school! but I think it’s true to say that attention to the arts side of early childhood and primary school-based education has well and truly fallen behind other curriculum areas in the past twenty years.

There are a range of reasons for this, but it’s happened across states in Australia – and it’s interesting to see comments coming from Jamaica! as a result of slow but steady cutbacks in education budgets since the mid-1980s. The net result is that there are very few specialist teachers left in the system and classroom teachers are often underconfident – so nothing happens unless there are willing parents who take it on voluntarily, like your correspondent. It’s not good enough. When I was in primary school in NSW in the 50s, kids were marshalled onto the asphalt playground to do folk dancing as part of the PE curriculum. The NSW School Reader regularly featured plays by people like Ruth Park that we acted out in class, we listened to Music for Schools on the ABC and recited poems by Henry Lawson. OK, it was all a bit daggy but at least it was something!

Real resources are needed, not only to turn the decline around but to allow development to happen once more. The arts should be at the heart of a child-centred curriculum, not just an optional extra for the wealthy.

I know Professor John O’Toole has put in a huge effort to make sure the arts weren’t completely neglected in discussions about the new National Curriculum, and Richard Gill (outgoing AD of Victorian Opera and a passionate music educator) has been jumping up and down about the need to revive music education in schools.

It’s really important that voice, including the idea of kids finding their own voice, is fed in to these discussions too.
Time for a summit?
Cheers,

Being in Voice Warm Up App

Warm up your voice gently and thoroughly for a few minutes each day.

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Great App!! ★★★★★
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An excellent guide ★★★★★
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Flloyd Kennedy has a vast knowledge of the voice as a vital instrument and takes you through relaxation, alignment, breath, resonance and articulation guiding you through the excellent warm ups.

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